Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Active Start for Keokuk Prompt Care

TSPR's Jason Parrott
Keokuk Area Hospital's newest facility is Keokuk Prompt Care

Keokuk Area Hospital is confident that it's filled a key need within the community: off-hour, non-emergency health care.

It's doing so by opening Keokuk Prompt Care on Thursday, Feb. 5.  The walk-in clinic is available 4:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 8:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. on Saturdays.

Duane Fitch, who heads the organization overseeing the hospital's operations, said it is already quite popular. "We have folks who line up to see the provider before the doors even open," said Fitch.

More than 70 people received care at the clinic during its first two weeks for a variety of ailments including:

  • Allergies
  • Dehydration
  • Rash
  • Insect Bites
  • Ear Infections
  • Nausea
  • Cough
  • Migraines

Fitch said more often than not, people were receiving care for these non-life threatening events in the emergency room.
So the walk-in clinic should help leave the emergency room open for emergencies, which has been a goal for months or even years.

"We didn't have the financial resources to enact all of the strategies that we would have liked to," said Fitch, "so once we received the ($5-million) state loan and repositioned the operations to net income/cash flow positive, this was an obvious, immediate need."

Fitch said this was not opened in response to a plan from Quincy-based Blessing Health Systems and Fort Madison Community Hospital to open a facility this summer. "This has been envisioned for some time," said Fitch.  "We feel we have filled a niche here." 

The clinic has three employees: a physician, nurse and receptionist.  It is located at 400 N. 17th Street.

Jason Parrott is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.